Copy
View this email in your browser

Elevate Newsletter #7

The last newsletter was read by 2,000+ students across 25 top colleges. I'm thrilled about this!! Welcome to all the new members (Duke, Berkeley, UCLA)

Finding the newsletter helpful? I'd love it if you help me get the word out and forward to your people and ask them to subscribe here!
#1 of 6: Announcement: Launch of Elevate Mastery Training - March 2020
 
You guys have been asking for it, and I'm very excited to finally announce the launch of Elevate Mastery Training. Will be launching the Private Equity Training first, followed by Investment Banking.

Why I'm super-excited about this? As with anything in Elevate, my goal is to help you be the most successful in your career. After extensive conversations with so many of you, there is a clear need for building the most important skills needed to succeed on the job. 

So, we're building it. I've been working with successful, real-world Investment Banking & Private Equity professionals, recruiters and successful candidates to design the Elevate Mastery Training and I'm excited to share it with you all very soon. One of the best parts is you'll go behind the scenes with real professionals at top firms on the essential aspects of the job, such as detailed transaction processes, job functions, investment committees, financial modeling & technical analysis, and much more. Stay tuned.

 

#2 of 6: Elevate Career Talks: Uber with Nandini: JP Morgan TMT Investment Banking to Director @ Uber, Head of Business Development, South Asia / India

One of the best discussions yet. Really candid conversation around what it takes to be successful over a short career. Many listeners have asked about diversity in exit options - and this is a great example. Nandini was successful in investment banking at JP Morgan TMT in New York, then when the timing was right, joined Uber (pre-IPO) to build their South Asia business, and in 4 short years, achieving 50x growth, helping Uber go public, and now building its fastest growth market, with 1+ billion people. She takes about what it takes to succeed at a place like JP Morgan, then at a fast-growth company like Uber. 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Qj2orwsGyAM (Subscribe to the YouTube channel!)
iTunes: Elevate Talks on Apple Podcasts


Range of topics covered include:
- Role as Director & Head of BD for Uber's largest markets - all in a short period of time
- How JP Morgan TMT Investment Banking helped her. Why she thinks finance / consulting is the best place to start the foundation for a career - but hear why she says "don't stay too long"
- Why she chose JP Morgan as well as TMT
- Experience @ Uber - joining pre-IPO, helping Uber go public, heading BD for all of Uber platform a 1bn+ and growing 50x, being an executive at Uber
- Exit options from a finance / consulting. What do ex-bankers & consultants do well in a fast-growth company, and what can they do better
- First 5 years of your career is about discovering what you're good at and laying a foundation
- Why she chose Uber - believe in the mission, role that was not too narrow, grow really fast
- Technology is integral in everything that we do and will continue - what does that mean for business, finance students & careers
- Some mistakes over her career and how she got better

Past Elevate talks are on YouTube & iTunes:
Blackstone Private Equity / GS I-Banking / HBS: (https://youtu.be/_5__HauBhPE)
Softbank Venture Capital with Olivier (https://youtu.be/Zh59VHx7j3A)
Centerview Investment Banking with Brandt (https://youtu.be/1rrIlfTQzvI)
McKinsey Management Consulting with Niranjana (https://youtu.be/v3LfpMnxUXw) - featured by McKinsey Global

Please subscribe, rate and review on Youtube & iTunes (it's quick!)
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWWkAMa2_F8GpE5bO8kApug/

Video - Uber with Nandini: JP Morgan Investment Banking to Director at Uber
#3 of 6: Upcoming Elevate Video Sessions
  • Warburg Pincus Private Equity
  • Hedge Fund Investor (HF straight out of investment banking, one of 9 investment professionals at $15bn AUM) 
  • Investor, Citadel Investments
  • Private Equity, Centerbridge & GTCR
Subscribe to the Elevate Youtube channel
(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWWkAMa2_F8GpE5bO8kApug)
Have ideas for speakers? Email me!
#4 of 6: Your Questions Answered (Email ProjectElevateLab@gmail.com)

Two questions this week:

#1. I’m a senior and haven’t secured a full-time position yet. Shooting for some selective positions with some progress, but no tangible offer yet. When should I abandon ship and just pursue an easier-to-get role? Please advise!

To me, it’s a combination of 3 factors: 

  • Your risk appetite 
  • An honest assessment of why you think you haven’t been successful yet and what you’re holding out for
  • How much work you’re willing to continue to put in

First, your risk appetite - clearly, you are holding out for certain types of roles and thus along the way, likely foregone some of what you call easier-to-get roles. No harm in that. That shows a combination of risk-taking and self-confidence. Both great. As graduation nears, your self-confidence will deteriorate given the timing pressure. So, continuing to pursue a higher risk approach requires you to maintain that level of self-confidence under pressure. If the thought of that is scary, then start thinking about Plan B, C. 

Now, combine that with an honest assessment of where you are: what has worked, what has not? Is that fixable? Pay close attention to the feedback. Here are a few examples: 

  • Say the feedback you’ve received is, not enough summer experiences for a hedge fund job, then the market is telling you something that may not be fixable before the end of the school year 
  • Say you’ve made it to final rounds at 3 places, but have finished 2nd at each - that is a more encouraging sign - that you are competitive and you’ve probably gotten unlucky in a few toss-up decisions
  • Say you’ve networked really hard at 1 firm over 3-4 months and were runner-up for a role there versus if you’ve had final round interviews at 3 places. Tells me two different things: The first one tells me your recruiting strategy is hard to replicate at multiple places and time consuming (thus higher risk) vs. the second one - you’re efficiently managing the process at multiple firms, so lower risk

Next, think about what you’re holding out for. Understand what will actually make you happy and combine that with the dose of the reality of what you’re learning from the process.

Finally, it’s about how much work you’re willing to put in. Sounds obvious, but as timing compresses, you’ll have to still operate from a place of self-confidence and strength vs. one of desperation and scarcity. This is hard. Given you haven’t succeeded yet, are you willing to put in even more effort than before to network, build relationships, recruit, interview, etc.?

A few important points:
1. Give yourself a drop-dead deadline, i.e. by end of April if I don’t have anything solid, I’ll go to Plan B, C, etc.
2. Spend 25-30% of your time recruiting for a Plan B, Plan C job even now. You'll realize it’s harder than you think.
3. Network like crazy. Never know which connection will open a door.
4. Realize your career is a 20+ year journey not a sprint and your first job is not the last job. Even though the job market is hot, it is increasingly challenging for folks to land something once they have graduated. It is easier to move laterally 1-2 years into any job. 


#2. I have a full-time position lined up for the fall. What could I be doing this semester? 

Three things: 1. Enjoy senior year without needing to recruit; 2. Start learning more and building skills for your career; 3. Continue to network

#1 goes without saying - enjoy your time, freedom and friends, and on #2 inevitably 90+% of you guys will end up doing this in different capacities - and a great way to get a headstart.

On #3, I genuinely believe, this is a great time to network in a very low-stress manner. You know by now I am always a huge proponent of networking, but this is a particularly good time to do so. It’s low-stress for you because you’re not trying to impress people to get a job (you already have a full-time role). It’s low-stress for the professionals because they don’t have to treat it as an interview, refer you to HR, etc. Plus, if you already have a full-time role, people are more likely to respond to you. Reach out to people asking to learn more about their roles and career journey, and say you’re going XYZ firm full-time (and include some “zone of commonality” topics - e.g. college or firm alumni). Very low downside - if they don’t respond, oh well, and if they do - great opportunity to network without asking for something in return. 

I love hearing back from all of you - let me know if other things work for you, or if you end up using these tips.

-Kaushik

Have questions you want answered? Email ProjectElevateLab@gmail.com

#5 of 6: Interesting Reads
Elevate members have asked to share interesting reading recommendations. If you have good reads that I should include, shoot me a link!

#6 of 6: Engaging with Elevate

If you have ideas for content, speakers, trainings or questions, email me. I love hearing from you guys.

As always, continue spreading the word about Elevate. I appreciate it when you guys forward Elevate content to friends/classmates/co-workers and pay it forward (as easy as sharing this newsletter, subscribing to the YouTube channel & iTunes podcasts etc.).


Keep striving for your best,
Kaushik
Founder, Elevate Network
ProjectElevateLab@gmail.com

 

Elevate is the premier career success network for students & young professionals, providing providing high-impact training and resources for top business, finance and technology careers.
 
 
Sign up here for the latest updates: https://forms.gle/AAgWtfBVB8vwg3gv6
Copyright © 2020 by Elevate, All rights reserved.

ProjectElevateLab@gmail.com

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Elevate · 313 7th St · Jersey City, NJ 07302-1912 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp